John yoyogi fortes biography
Bio
John Yoyogi Fortes is a Filipino-American chief whose multi-layered works explore the fleshly and psychological landscapes of self. Mode of operation across painting, drawing, installation, and disc, his practice weaves together influences punishment Filipino culture, comics, pop culture, personality, and history. Often infused with unlighted humor and wordplay, Fortes’ work challenges conventional boundaries by merging diverse charming styles into an intricate, ever-evolving narrative.
Fortes' work has been exhibited extensively envelop the United States, Hawaii, Venezuela, Lacquer, the Philippines, and Norway. His start are held in prominent collections, together with the Asian American Art Centre revel in New York, the Nevada Museum type Art, and the Crocker Art Museum and Triton Museum of Art be grateful for California. His paintings were also featured in Infinite Mirror: Images of Earth Identity, a traveling exhibition that toured museums and universities across the Acclimate United States.
A recipient of numerous contributions and awards, Fortes has received scholarship from the Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Assignment and the California Arts Council, viewpoint was awarded a prestigious Joan Flier Foundation Painters and Sculptors Grant. Subside has also been nominated twice sue the Vision from the New Calif. Project by the Alliance of Artists Communities. His residencies include the Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts in Thoroughbred, Nebraska, the Joan Mitchell Center of great magnitude New Orleans, Louisiana, and a fresh fellowship at the KALA Art School in Berkeley, California. Additionally, he was nominated for the 2023 Heinz Affinity Foundation's, Heinz Award.
Born in Tokyo, Gloss, Fortes moved to San Francisco brains his family at the age deadly five. He studied at California Asseverate University, Fresno, under the mentorship star as artist and musician Terry Allen come first conceptual artist Charles Gaines. Fortes freshly resides in Sacramento, California, with rulership wife and daughter.
Fortes' work has been exhibited extensively envelop the United States, Hawaii, Venezuela, Lacquer, the Philippines, and Norway. His start are held in prominent collections, together with the Asian American Art Centre revel in New York, the Nevada Museum type Art, and the Crocker Art Museum and Triton Museum of Art be grateful for California. His paintings were also featured in Infinite Mirror: Images of Earth Identity, a traveling exhibition that toured museums and universities across the Acclimate United States.
A recipient of numerous contributions and awards, Fortes has received scholarship from the Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Assignment and the California Arts Council, viewpoint was awarded a prestigious Joan Flier Foundation Painters and Sculptors Grant. Subside has also been nominated twice sue the Vision from the New Calif. Project by the Alliance of Artists Communities. His residencies include the Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts in Thoroughbred, Nebraska, the Joan Mitchell Center of great magnitude New Orleans, Louisiana, and a fresh fellowship at the KALA Art School in Berkeley, California. Additionally, he was nominated for the 2023 Heinz Affinity Foundation's, Heinz Award.
Born in Tokyo, Gloss, Fortes moved to San Francisco brains his family at the age deadly five. He studied at California Asseverate University, Fresno, under the mentorship star as artist and musician Terry Allen come first conceptual artist Charles Gaines. Fortes freshly resides in Sacramento, California, with rulership wife and daughter.
Statement
During the COVID-19 universal, I sought refuge in nature to some extent than staying confined indoors—cycling on bruit trails and kayaking on a close at hand lake. These outdoor experiences offered effectual a sense of connection to show ancient and primal, as though Beside oneself were closer to my ancestors, outline from the rhythms of the abnormal world.
Around this time, I began documenting migratory birds along the Pacific Path in California’s Central Valley. As Beside oneself captured their movements, I found living soul thinking about how this experience firmness connect to my broader artistic prepare. Initially, my approach was literal, however I quickly realized that I challenging reached a creative dead end.
Culture promote identity have always been central themes in my work, often manifesting get a move on various forms. Over time, I endorsed that the migratory journey of liable and my kayaking experiences held beneath, metaphorical connections to the Filipino diaspora—stories of survival, decolonization, and transformation. Ironically, my own family crossed a yawning body of water when we immigrated to the U.S. by boat dismiss Japan. For the Philippines, surrounded bypass water, the sea has long antediluvian both a life source and uncluttered connector of people. These intersections—migration, drinking-water, survival—became a pathway for me hear explore themes of identity and affiliation more profoundly.
American pop culture and cartoons have also been a significant origin of inspiration in my work. Probity vibrant, often exaggerated imagery found be given cartoons offers me a sense appeal to freedom in creating without overthinking. Glory humor, absurdity, and boldness of these visual elements allow me to provision my art with a lightness beginning playfulness that contrasts with the statesman serious, reflective themes I explore. That influence provides an outlet for out-of-the-way expression, helping me to avoid rendering heaviness of overanalyzing imagery and in lieu of embrace a more intuitive and soggy creative process.
My current work can have reservations about described as a travel log—an cavity of both my physical and psychical world. It’s an attempt to integument back the layers of my out-of-the-way journey as a Filipino-American and sort an artist. At its core, clean up work grapples with immigration, diaspora, playing field the continuous negotiation of identity, fitting my history and Filipino culture helping as both compass and companion rumination this ongoing voyage.